Wireless Telemitry For Your Sub!

[aquadeep]

I don't know if anyone has tried this but I have always wanted to know how my sub was doing down in the deep usually dark blue/green sea.

2 small units one the TX and the other a recorder brain that collects all the sensory data.Then sent to a small dashboard on your radio,no interference that I could detect just locate the TX as far away from the radio RX as possible and that does it,the antena is a very thin coated stainless whip that runs outside of the casing I have not tried it on the inside yet.

Well now I have found the way to do it and it works!and its been out there for a long time! Just not tested on RC Subs.

Eagle Tree Systems makes the fantastic system that can do so many things its incredible I had to try it in a sub.

I thought that only 900mgz would work not 2.4 or other fancier frequencies so I ordered the the 900 mgrz unit.

I first installed the free software on my computer and then followed the instructions from there and even downloaded the manual for hookup etc.Great instructions and very detailed.

This sensor recorder tetemetry system is truly incredible in its scope of capabilities and ease of operation,just about every conceivable option can be displayed either on a small portable dashboard or live on your laptop at the pond in real time,even GPS coordinates and graphing displayed to Google Earth!
Now I don't know if the GPS will work under water I haven't purchased that option yet but I know it would work while on the serface,probably a few feet underwater.

You want depth ya thats right depth is possible since the sensors use barometric pressure and with some tweaking It is posible to get a read out live of the depth she is running at thugh not calibrated to meters or feet but a live representation of change in depth numerically,later I might be able to get the manufacturer to make the option in a depth gauge etc read out.
Even the internal pressure of the Casing can be detected !Ballast tank and pump pressures measured.Even speed is an option.

Important data such as RX battery pack performance and percentage remaining, Lipo users would know even the temperature of the pack,watts ,volts.

If the radio RX battery gets to low the telemetry system shuts off and that way your model is safe and under control.
Another very neat thing is the user selectable warning beeps or alarms ,set to go off at lets say 5 ft depth a beep or selected number of beeps will warn if that limit is reached,same for battery volts,temp,etc.
A full range of safety warnings for you sub.
Also analog and digital sensors can be added and customized to the existing range of sensors that are available from Eagle Tree and very affordable.

Every part or module can be purchased as a kit or separately so that easy upgrade or multiple model tetemetry can be accomplished.
there is even a OSD or on screen display for use with live vedeo that will display all of the above parameters directly over your existing video link.
The usual video parameters are used ,a buoy etc. is needed.

You wonder how much for all this capability about 380.00$ from Eagle Tree and its made in the USA.Comes with motor temp,RPM shaft or motor with mini magnets and sensor,CD,TX,RX,USB cable, Yharnes for even servo glitches,amps used,travel indiction,voltage,if you have a bad servo it will show up.Dash board unit ,pitot tube,tubing and clip for the dashboard to radio attachment.

Great support and tech feedback.
Go to http://www.eagletreesystems.com/Plane/plane.html
I will be making more tests on this system and will post what I find.

Finaly telemtry that works for subs!

Prop RPM,motor RPM,setup by gear ratio and able to read 2 drives at once.

[aquadeep]

Here is another clip I made that shows a read out DEP ,notice how sensitive its reading as the sub barely moves vertically in the water column.
The numbers are just an indication of movement at this time as a more exact read out in cms is being looked into, the Altimeter sensor is the one used for indicating and the name changed on the dashboard to say DEP notice its in - numbers and increases as the sub dives,decreases as the sub rises. Just like a depth meter :cool:
The other number on the right is the SIG or signal strength at 90 plus and 100 is maximum and the sub is submerged about 2.5 feet,not bad at all this thing works! :)
The prop is moving as shown and the water is being moved around at strong current as seen when a small flre comes up in the beginning,there is no doubt that it is moving. :rolleyes:
The way I made the antenna now gets a lot better strength without being bulky and is super simple able to be permanently installed so that the units TX can be removed and transferred to another sub without having to reseal the casing sea diagram,this water has about 3 cups of chlorine in it and still good signal even in a metal tank that could give problems.
If I had a third hand I could have shown the other screens that show motor temp and receiver voltage.
This video is very important as it shows how a wireless device can measure or display a subs depth ,and a hole host of very important data,its about time guys and I did it! :) :p
Alarms can be setup to warn you that depth is past max or prop RPM exceeded even temps of motors and ESC ectra assume. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T61jb3l0JmQ
Stay tuned as I post more ,this hobby is changing now before our eyes.
Dave Amur Sub Yard :) :) :p

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Hi, Dave.

Let's avoid the RCGroups fiasco, OK?

Neat system.

David,

[aquadeep]

Definitely my friend, I would not start anything to embarass any one here.

[Slats]

Wow -very impressive but am wondering how many people would want it so much to lay out dollars for it - sorry that's the Economist in me!

I have enough trouble maintaining my fleet and great day involves glitch free stick time and a boat that does not need recovery.

Seriously with cramped quarters in the WTC, some times pesky problems to sort out from time to time, the big question I have is why would you want to put this on board? IMO its way way down the list of both mission critical and fun devices to be installed. Very happy to be wrong (as it appears to be exceptionally well thought out and designed - stunning) but people will vote with their cash.

Best
John

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Wow -very impressive but am wondering how many people would want it so much to lay out dollars for it - sorry that's the Economist in me!

I have enough trouble maintaining my fleet and great day involves glitch free stick time and a boat that does not need recovery.

Seriously with cramped quarters in the WTC, some times pesky problems to sort out from time to time, the big question I have is why would you want to put this on board? IMO its way way down the list of both mission critical and fun devices to be installed. Very happy to be wrong (as it appears to be exceptionally well thought out and designed - stunning) but people will vote with their cash.

Best
John

John pretty much echoes my thoughts concerning this system.

Yes, I see telemetry as a vitally useful tool for product developers/engineer during their product evaluation tests.

However, the system seems like a massive overload of information for a typical 'driver' who has his hands full just fiddling with the sticks.

And again, John hits it on the head: the real utility of the system will be revealed over time as we look at how many people buy and make use of it. Time will tell.

Dave, you've done us all a service presenting the system and adapting it (a system originally designed to send real-time on-board systems data back to the driver of high performance aircraft, boats, and cars) for use aboard r/c submarines. You are a true pioneer in this game and your contributions and advancement of the-state-of-the-art is appreciated.

David,

[Subculture]

I have an Eagle Tree elogger V3. This lacks the radio transmitter facility, but does most of what the much more expensive system does, and records the data to on board memory, where you can analyse it at your leisure later on a laptop or desktop computer.

Another good thing about it, is you can plug in a power panel which gives you voltage, current, RPM etc on a small LCD readout.

The gadget is very small and easily swapped out from model to model.

I find it useful for checking motors/prop combinations.

[aquadeep]

Yes at first it semed like alot of sensory overload but once one can customize the display sensory items to what one needs then it becomes a truly fantastic tool,iether on the bench or out on the field.It has paid off in just for instance telling when to retrieve the sub before the batteries get too low and for Lipo users that is a must.Also as subculture has found as has I that the motor trany to prop combinatins can be customized and optimized to perfection saving time and money.

I have recieved the next option i wanted the video expander Pro and it is ausome,it has even voice dicription of the sensors ,this so that pilots dont have to take there eyes off the model in critical manuevers.
Even compass directions are displayed and can be heard if necessary.
The tiny Pro unit plugs into the data recorder then into the video camarra and out again so that it overlays its info over the video image.Customized alarms can also be set like "too deep serface"or battery power getting low,or water in casing.

The beuty of this system is the softwear supplied or downloaded from the site all there new equipment is updatable and future proof and the softwear is very easy to use just like seting up a printer or camarra on your PC,I am no computer wiz at all and computer code is not my cup of tea at all ,but this system you wll never have to mess with that at all,its very well speled out and easy to use.
Anyone that is interested in knowing how deep they are taking there sub ,that alone sold the system to me ,for that was one of my holy grails that I had to explore and it does that very accuratly though not in units of meassurment yet and a hole lot more with no hassle or great expence ,just good old fun use.

The Pro expander is for ROVs naturaly as a teathered cable is required to the serface,but the wireless dashboard Seagull is fantastic for every thing else including ROVs and is completly interchangable as the pro must have a elogger or data recorder to operate.I simply tranfer the data recorder and TX to another sub that has the inexpensive sensors already installed and go then all the pree set peramiters are displayed for each individual model.Sure it adds a bit more to your fun run but it makes it much funner and keeps your sub safe and is a small investment to me compared to the sub!:wink:

Dave

[Slats]

Dave all good info - I sail 90% of the time in what I call Blue water conditions, fresh water dams and lakes where the bottom is something you never want to explore. i.e. This is deep water, very deep. I drive therefore with eyes glued on the model and mostly when submerged at PD or just a tad deeper. I just cannot see myself taking my eyes of the sub to look at telemetry.

J

[aquadeep]

Yes Slats I can understand your concern about that point,but this system has that thaught out,remember its used on high performance helis that you can't hardly blink or scratch your nose at any time so they made it easy also with sound alarms setable by the user to sound off alarms like low battery ,to low an altitude or in our case too deep.
I use my SB-2 in a cave where rocks and gullies are very close togetther and one has to realy watch where one is going,one close encounter and byby dive plain ext.!
With this sytem along with the video expander Pro I can go into places not accessable before from the serface and will know the direction and depth along with all sub sytem critical readings displayed in real time just like one sees on Oceanagrafic explorer subs and ROVs ,there sytem is alot more expensive and this one does just about all what those sytems do and a bit more,those don't transmit wirelessly in salt or any kind of water there teathered all the way to the mother ship.
I use a bouy teathered to the SB-2 ROV.Then wireless TX signal to me.

I would think in your case the sytem would be of a great advantage in if anything displaying on the Dashbouard sub critical readings like depth and motor temps exetra since you run in deep water like I do with all my subs.
There are several cristal clear river springs here in florida that are deep to 35 feet and I know the system will enhance my fun run tremenduesly knowing whats going on with the sub even if its data in real time alone ,all visable at a glance right infront of you on the antena is mounted the dashboard unit,very cool.:wink:

Sometimes Captains get overwhelmed with a new thing or tecknology as I did till I realized how easy it was to use, but alas this system is so easy to use a youngster can enjoy it.

[aquadeep]

Thank you Dave for your kind words and is greatly apreciated :wink:

[Bill Harris]

Good discussion. Although I've never owned an Eagletree system, I have been around them quite a bit and know that they do an excellent job of recording and telemetring data from a model RC aircraft. I had wondered if the system could be adapted to submarines.

My concern would be signal reception of the (high frequency) 900mHz signal. Dave has done a tank test (with chlorox in the water, to increase the electrical conductivity of the water and attenuate the signal), but what does a "deep end of the pool" test or a actual lake test show?

Even if the telemetry doesn't work, having an on-board data logger will be invaluable. Many times something will work on the bench, but you always wonder about what it does in the air (or under the water).

Knowing the actual depth from the barometric pressure reading is not a problem. Rule of thumb is 33 feet of water = 1 atm (14.7psi) and Eagletree could probably come up with a sensor or calibration to give an actual depth reading.

--Bill

[AQUASUB]

I have used with great success the above full blown system on my U-32 for about 2 years ,the reception was very good out to about 200 ft and 5 ft submerged ,very useful for any sub especially when lipos are used.Watch it all live unfold on your laptop or at the TX.Very cool easy to use system.

Dave

[AQUASUB]

I test in the tank then out on the pond,the system works very well and highly recomend the 900mghrz or the stronger unit.

Dave